Eagle Creek hikers, fret no more: a new bridge is finally on its way.
It’s been a little more than a year since a winter storm destroyed the Tish Creek bridge on the popular Eagle Creek trail in the Columbia River Gorge, but a replacement may come soon, U.S. Forest Service officials said Friday.
As soon as a clear weather window opens, a helicopter will airlift the old bridge out, and airlift a new bridge in, officially re-opening the trail to hikers.
“It is hard to believe that the day is so close,” said Rachel Pawlitz, spokeswoman for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. “I think we’re still on pins and needles because we’re racing against the clock.”
Crews have until March 1 to replace the bridge. If they miss that deadline, they won’t be able to work again until October 1. They have the endangered northern spotted owl to thank for that window, which nests in the area between March and September.
The trail has been officially closed at Tish Creek since December 2015, when a Douglas fir came crashing down onto the 41-foot metal truss bridge, originally built in 1963. Plenty of hikers have flouted the closure and crossed the shallow creek without incident, but forest officials will be happy to have a safe crossing once again.
The new bridge will be made of durable fiber-reinforced polymer. The project is being paid for by a $110,000 grant from the Federal Lands Transportation Program, with additional funds from the U.S. Forest Service.
Pawlitz said there’s no set date on the replacement, which is dependent upon the often-rough winter weather in the Columbia River Gorge. According to the most recent weather forecast, that window isn’t likely to come any time in the next week – snow and rain is expected in the area through Thursday.
It’s not the only project happening on the trail. In January, a viewpoint of Metlako Falls was destroyed by a landslide. Pawlitz said the future of the viewpoint it still up in the air, as forest officials wait for a geological assessment later this winter to determine the stability of the land.
It may mean a slight transformation for the popular trail, known for its sheer cliff faces and waterfall views, but the new bridge should come as a sigh of relief for officials and hikers alike.
“I think we’re very close,” Pawlitz said.
–Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB
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